Sword of Kings
Chapter 8 – Tying up the Loose Ends

by Bill W

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Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. 
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.
Don’t read this story if:
**You’re not 18 or over,    
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don’t want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author’s permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other ‘constructive’ comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

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As soon as the door was bolted, the elves started talking excitedly about all they had just learned. At first they just talked between themselves, because Kieren was still lost in his own thoughts, but eventually they attempted to get Kieren’s view about all that had happened.

“Did you know any of this before tonight?” Romaric asked his friend.

“No, not at all, but maybe I should have suspected something wasn’t quite right when I said good-bye to my parents.” Kieren had a scowl on his face as he said this.

“Why do you say that?” Garreth asked, concerned. “What happened when you went home, before we left?”

“It was just some things my parents said and the way they said it,” Kieren acknowledged. “My father almost slipped and told me something more, but he caught himself before he did. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it seems they knew about this, but decided not to share any of that information with me.”

“Why would they do that?” Garreth followed up.

“Probably because they didn’t think I could handle it. They must still think of me as a baby,” Kieren said sarcastically. “Damn, why can’t parents tell when their children have grown up? Why do they pretend we still need them to protect us? I’m so pissed! I just wish I were home so I could tell both of them how mad I am.” Kieren continued to rant on, with his anger visible in every contour of his face. He really wanted to punch or throw something, but he was a guest here and did not want to break anything that didn’t belong to him or his parents. Garreth and Romaric just stared at him, not exactly sure what to do or how to react, since they had not seen him like this before.

* * * * * * * *

After he left the boys, Beraut went back to his own room, to question the servant and the other interloper he had taken into custody earlier. There were two elfin guards keeping an eye on them, along with another guard from the castle’s security force, and the two men were bound and looking less than happy. As Beraut entered, he grabbed a jug of wine off a small table and poured part of the contents into two of the goblets that sat beside it. Once the goblets were full, he pulled a small vile out of his robes and added some of its contents to the wine. Shaking the goblets gently, to make sure the liquids had fully mixed, he was ready to make his next move.

“Release the prisoners from their restraints,” the wizard ordered the guards, before he offered a cup to each one of the prisoners. The man they had caught in the hall earlier continued to stare at the vile Beraut had just used, so when the wizard held out the cup, he didn’t budge.

“Just a little something to ensure you’re truthfulness,” the wizard admitted, honestly, before extending the goblet to him again.

“I’m not thirsty,” the same man added, defiantly.

Realizing the man did not intend to cooperate with his plan, Beraut attempted to stare the man into a submissive posture, like a dominant wolf would do to others in the pack. Unfortunately, the man didn’t respond as the enchanter had hoped.

“Did you think we were just going to drink that for you? If that’s what you expect, then you must be going senile, old man.” The spy seemed to be mocking Beraut now.

“Well, that may be how I hoped you would respond to my offer,” Beraut advised him, “as that would be the wise thing for you to do. However, your cooperation is of little concern to me, for I have other means available to gain your compliance, in case you’d prefer not to do so freely.

“It will take more than you and you tired old magic so scare me,” the man said, in a derisive and arrogant tone, although Beraut sensed a fearful tremor in his voice.

“Well, you may discover I can pose as severe a threat as anyone,” the enchanter countered. “Though I’d suspect you’re going to have to learn that the hard way.”

“There’s no way you’re as bad as they are!” The spy said this boastfully, but then he unconsciously let his head tilt toward the floor, so he didn’t have to look the wizard directly in the eyes again.

“Have it your own way, but you may come to regret your decision,” Beraut advised him, before turning toward the other man. “What about you? Do you choose to also take the hard way, or will you drink my wine voluntarily?”

The serving man looked very nervous, like he didn’t want to have to put up a fight or endure any pain. However, he considered how much worse it would be for him if the other spy informed their employers that he had cooperated with Beraut without having to be tortured, and then he made up his mind. “I’m afraid I can’t do that either,” he said meekly.

Beraut looked at the serving man for a moment and then turned toward the other man again. The mage grabbed his staff from its place against the wall, lifted it and held it a thumb’s length away from the first man’s temple, before uttering a short spell. The second he finished his incantation, a bolt of energy shot from the end of the staff and penetrated the man’s skull. The captive screamed in pain and his body began to jerk spasmodically in his seat. After a few seconds of enduring that form of torture, Beraut uttered another phrase, which caused the bolt to dissipate. Once the man’s body stopped jerking and his eyes began to refocus, the wizard spoke to him again.

“Are you ready to taste my wine yet,” Beraut asked, without much emotion in his voice. He waited a few seconds, to make sure the man had recovered enough to respond, but he still received no reply from his prisoner. Frustrated, the mage advised one of the guards to force the man to drink the wine. The warrior lifted the goblet and placed it against the man’s lips, tilting it slightly, so the liquid would run into his mouth. Feeling the wine wetting his skin, the spy sealed his lips tightly together, so the liquid couldn’t penetrate them. This was difficult for him, because his mouth was still twitching slightly from the charge that had just coursed through his head. Seeing the man’s continued defiance, the wizard shook his head at the guard, letting him know he could discontinue his efforts. Once the soldier stepped away from the prisoner, Beraut approached the man again.

This time Beraut repeated his previous effort, lifting his staff near the man’s temple, but after giving another blast of energy to the man’s skull, he lowered his staff and did the same thing to his chest. Still not getting any cooperation, the wizard dropped the tip of his staff even lower, until it was pointed at the spy’s waist and then he sent another blast of power there, before giving a final jolt to each of the man’s legs. This time the man’s body was jerking about wildly, as if he were having a seizure, and the other prisoner just gawked at the first in horror, realizing Beraut could indeed be vicious.

After allowing him several minutes to recuperate from what he had just gone through, Beraut ordered the guard to try and make the man drink again. This time the captive let his lips part slightly, so the wine could enter his mouth. After making sure he had swallowed a sufficient amount, the enchanter gave it time to take effect, before he began his questioning. “What were you doing outside our chambers?” Beraut asked him simply.

“I was told to listen for any information that might be useful,” the man responded, in a dead, monotone voice.

“And who put you up to this?” the wizard followed.

“Some mercenaries I met outside one of the shops at the castle.”

“And what exactly did they tell you to do?” the magician followed.

“They told me to listen at the door of any important visitors who might be staying at the castle. They wanted me to gather what information I could, to see if we could determine what they were up to.”

“Were they looking for anything more specific?” the mage pressed.

“They told me to get as much information as I could from any other wizards who might come here.” This last statement didn’t surprise Beraut at all, as he was sure the Dark Lord would suspect him in the middle of any conspiracy.

“And what did they promise you for doing this?” Beraut continued.

“They said they’d pay me for whatever news I could gather and they wouldn’t kill me or my family, unless I failed to do as I was told.” The wizard just nodded in understanding.

“Have you passed other information to them?” the mage continued.

“A little, but there have not been many visitors here, until recently.”

Satisfied with the man’s responses, Beraut turned toward the other prisoner. “It’s up to you,” he began, staring at the burly worker. “Do you wish to drink the wine by yourself, or do you need to be persuaded first?”

“No, sir,” he responded, visibly shaken. “I will drink on my own.” Having said that, the man picked up the other goblet and began to drink greedily. When he had finished swallowing the last drop, Beraut waited a few seconds before beginning his questioning.

“Where did you meet the men who hired you?” the mage asked him.

“Outside the armorer’s shop. One of them said he had just taken in some chain mail to be repaired.”

“And what did they say to you?

“The one man grabbed my arm and said something about the way I was dressed.”

“Why would he talk about something like that?” The wizard looked confused.

“He said, ‘You look too well dressed for someone of your station. Must be you work for the Steward?’”

“And how did you respond?”

“I told them that I worked in the kitchens.” Now, the serving man looked confused as to why Beraut would want to know this information.

“And what happened then?” the wizard continued.

“The one man asked me if I wanted to pick up a few extra coins?”

“And?”

“I asked him how, and when he told me, that’s when I turned him down.”

“And then what happened?” The wizard seemed to be getting annoyed, because the spy was not volunteering the facts he wanted to know.

“That’s when he told me if I didn’t do what he wanted, he’d kill me and my family. He said it wouldn’t take much for him to find out where I lived.” The man shuddered, having recalled that detail.

“So what did these men look like?”

“I only really remember the one. He was the only one I ever dealt with.”

“Then tell me about him.” The wizard seemed anxious for a description.

“He was a little shorter than you, but much broader and more muscular. He was ugly,” the man paused to think for a moment, “had bad breath…and rotten teeth…and he had a scar on his neck, under his left ear.”

Beraut was not satisfied with this information and wanted more. “What color hair and eyes did he have?”

“His hair was black and he eyes were a very soft blue. I remember that, because I thought his eyes didn’t match the rest of him. I mean, he was ugly, smelly, and crude, yet he had gentle eyes.”

Finally, satisfied that he had learned all he could from this pair, Beraut left the room, but not before he picked up a couple of items on the way out. Confidently he strode down the corridor, toward Kieren’s room. When he got there, he lifted his arm and knocked softly upon the outer surface.

“Who’s there?” Romaric challenged, from the other side.

“It’s me, Beraut,” the wizard announced, pleased that the boys had heeded his warnings. He heard the bolt slide back, before the elf opened the door to let him enter.

“Thank you for taking care of your friend, but now I want you to go to you own room and lock yourself in for the night. I will stay here with Kieren.”

“But what of those two men in your room?” Garreth wanted to know.

“They are still under guard there.”

“No, I meant, what did you find out from them?” He looked eager for an answer.

“They were coerced into doing what they did and told they could pick up a few extra coins for gathering some information.” Beraut intentionally avoided telling them more, not wanting the boys to get overly concerned or excited. “Both spies were recruited because of their positions at the castle, and they figured they could make a tidy profit by selling whatever information they could learn while performing their duties.”

“Do you think there are others?” Romaric wanted to know.

“There may be,” the enchanter admitted, “but seeing these two have been caught, I think the others will think twice before doing any more spying.”

“Why? What did you do to them?” Romaric asked, as both boys looked intently at the wizard, anxious to learn how he had dealt with the spies.

“Rest assured the situation has been adequately handled. Now, off with you both.” With this the mage began to shoo them off to their own room, but the two elves stopped and turned toward him, starting to protest. However, after seeing the look Beraut gave them as they started to open their mouths, it was enough to convince them he was in no mood to be challenged. Dropping their heads in resignation, they left their friend and walked back to their own room. Once the wizard heard the bolt to their door slide into place, he turned toward Kieren, planning to share a few final tidbits of information with him, before they went to sleep.

The wizard turned toward the lad, looking him over carefully, concerned about how he was holding up. Finally, he decided to ask the youth directly. “Kieren, I know I’ve thrust a lot of information and responsibility upon you these past few days, and I need to know what you’re thinking right now.”

Kieren looked stunned that the wizard would ask him such a question, but he finally regained his composure and responded. “I’m really confused and kind of scared. I mean, I know what has to be done and the reason it’s so important, but I still keep asking myself, ‘why me?’”

The wizard placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, in an attempt to show his concern and possibly even to comfort him. “I understand. It doesn’t seem fair and we are asking more of you than we have the right to, but hang on to your fear, because that will aide you and keep you safe.”

Kieren thought about this for a few seconds, before he nodded his head in agreement, conceding that he would trust the enchanter’s judgment. Having received this small acknowledgement, Beraut placed his arm around the teen’s shoulder, and guided him over to the bed, where they both sat down.

“Kieren there is more that you should know,” the mage continued, and Kieren looked at him, amazed and concerned that there was even more to be learned. “First, there is the information concerning the talisman we keep referring to.” The teen continued to stare at the mage, but said nothing. “What you do not know yet is this talisman is a sword, a very special sword that is capable of destroying the Dark Lord. It is known as the Sword of Kings.”

“You mean all this is about some old sword?” Kieren finally managed to get out.

“No, it’s not just any sword,” Beraut advised him. “This sword was created by the dwarf smiths and infused with the power of the remaining members of the Council of Wizards. This is the only hope we have of destroying Madumda.”

“What? Am I expected to do that too?” Kieren gasped, thunderstruck from the information he had just been given. Beraut just looked compassionately at the boy, empathizing with what he must be going through. He understood Kieren knew what this meant, and was struggling with the implications, so he granted him a little more time to consider these new thoughts. Slowly, the lad began to comprehend the impossible nature of the task he was being charged with.

Kieren’s mind was reeling now. How could he, not yet a man, do battle with someone as powerful and evil as the Lord Madumda? Kieren had trained with the elfin soldiers, but he had never had his training put to the test with any true foe, let alone one with the strength and supernatural ability of the Dark Lord. How could these people put any faith in one so untested and unproven as himself, to perform such a gigantic undertaking?

Having given him sufficient time to digest this news, Beraut continued. “Kieren I know this is a lot to deal with right now, and I imagine you are thinking this task impossible, but bear with me.” The wizard took this moment to place his arm on the boy’s shoulder, hoping the physical contact would also have a calming effect.

“Before you leave here,” the mage continued, “I have some special gifts for you, gifts that will help protect you along the way. Kieren, first I give you a cloak to wear on your journey, to shield your movements in times of greatest danger.” The magician handed Kieren a folded bundle of cloth and winked at him. “Kieren, this cloak is similar to my own and possesses the same qualities I demonstrated in King Dylan’s chambers. This exquisite garment has been in my keeping for quite some time, while I have waited for the one who would fulfill the prophecy. As you remember from the exhibition in Aurelia, this cloak can make you virtually invisible and protect you when nothing else can. Wear it wisely and in good health.

“In addition to this, I would also like to present you with the ancestral symbol of authority of the Tarolian Royal Family, the Golden Medallion of Ethelbert. On the front of it is engraved the Golden Seal of Ethelbert, an upraised lion encircled by a kingly crown. This is the emblematic crest of the rulers of Tarolia, your forebears.” Having said this, Beraut lifted the chain adorning the medallion, raised it up and over Kieren’s head, and arranged it around his neck.

“There is also much you should know about the emblem of your rank, as there are only a handful of people still living who know the history and the purpose behind it. This relic was created for King Ethelbert by the dwarf smiths of old, very early in his reign. It was a talisman to help him rule the land and to protect him from anything he might encounter. To do this, this medallion was infused with special powers by the Council of Wizards.”

The enchanter went on to explain the qualities this medallion contained, and Kieren listened attentively to everything he was told. Afterwards, Kieren took some time to absorb the facts, before he decided to question his role in all of this. “Beraut,” he began, “why me? Aren’t there others who are stronger and more capable of doing these things?”

“I can understand why you might think that, but unfortunately this task falls to you?”

“But why must I be the one to do it?”

“Because of the prophecy.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The prophecy states who will be the one to stop Madumda.”

“So I’m it and there’s no one else to help?”

“I’m afraid so. You see, Kieren, shortly after Madumda rose to power, a seer went to him to advise him about a vision he had. This mystic announced that it would be an heir of Ethelbert who would some day destroy him. That’s why it must be you and only you.”

“But there must be other heirs.”

“No, Madumda killed the last of them a short time ago.”

“Are you sure?” Kieren asked, unable to believe that was true.

“Yes. My evil brother has been doing magical scans of the countryside for years to detect those who are descendents, no matter how remotely. Once he located them, he had them killed. All that remains of Ethelbert’s bloodline is you and your mother.” Kieren looked upset, and he still seemed unable to accept this as the truth, so Beraut continued.

“You see, my dear boy, Madumda has been spending a great deal of his time constantly searching for these heirs and eliminating them, though sometimes he didn’t even have to do that. I remember one group of Ethelbert’s kin who became so frustrated just waiting and knowing what was happening, that they decided to go to Treblanc and challenge the Dark Lord directly. I warned them against doing so, but they went anyway, and they were never seen or heard from again.

“After that,” the wizard continued, “I tried to shield as many of them as I could, but I was still young and didn’t have the power to do this job very well. Due to my inability, most of the heirs I tried to shield were discovered right away. I did protect a few others for a little longer, but eventually Madumda found a way past my shields.”

“But we escaped his detection, so maybe someone else did too. It’s possible, isn’t it?” Kieren was grasping at straws, hoping for any possibility that there might be others who could be recruited in his place and this duty wouldn’t fall solely upon his shoulders.

“No, Kieren, I’m afraid that is not possible. The only thing that protected your ancestral line in Wildoness was magic. I infused some of my magic with the elfin magic that shields their homeland, in order to keep your bloodline hidden. We had to do that to protect you and your kin, because you were our only hope and knowing that heirs of Ethelbert still existed was the only thing that kept Madumda from making his move. We had to keep you and your ancestors safe and this knowledge hidden, but now that the Dark Lord thinks he has destroyed them all, he’s ready to seize power.” Kieren gawked at the wizard, unable to fathom his meaning.

“Kieren, because Madumda could not penetrate the shield that protected you in Wildoness, he doesn’t know any heirs still survive.”

“Then why didn’t you hide more of the heirs in Wildoness, like you did my family?”

“It was because we feared too many heirs in one place would generate such a strong marker that it would make it impossible for us to protect them. I’ll give you an analogy of how this works. It’s a very simple comparison, but I think you’ll get the idea. The spell Madumda uses is like a magnet, which seeks out the heirs, who are like metal rods. When the magnet locates one of the rods, it points toward it and lets him know where it is. Our magic could deflect that ability, to a limited extent, but if we put too many metal rods in one place, then we wouldn’t be able to prevent his magnet from pointing in that direction. Does that makes sense to you?”

“I guess so. You had to limit the number of heirs you could hide, or he’d find them eventually.”

“Exactly! We did what we could, but in the end, we could only protect one family of heirs to do this job.” Beraut thought that would end the discussion, but Kieren had another question he needed answered.

“Wait, it still doesn’t make sense. Why did Madumda hold off until now?” he needed to know. “He had the Sword, didn’t he?”

“There have been two things keeping Madumda in check. The first was the Sword of Kings, which he knew could destroy him, but once he had captured that, the only thing he feared was the prophecy.”

“You mean what that seer said about an heir of Ethelbert killing him?” Kieren hadn’t worded this exactly as it should have been, but it was close enough.

“Precisely. The prophecy never joined the heir with the Sword, so for all Madumda knew, this heir would destroy him by some other means. Not knowing exactly how that would be accomplished, Madumda felt it prudent to bide his time until he had removed that obstacle. However, now that he thinks all the heirs have been dealt with and he still has possession of the Sword, he sees nothing else to stand in his way. What he doesn’t realize is, he’s missing some important facts – such as knowing an heir does survive.” Kieren gave him a questioning look.

“You mean me,” the youth acknowledged, “but I don’t think I can do this.”

“Kieren, you have to. All that’s left of that noble line is your mother and you, and you must realize she wouldn’t be capable of doing what needs to be done.”

“But I’m just a boy! How can you expect me to defeat Madumda?”

“Kieren, it HAS to be you.” This simple response wasn’t what Kieren expected, but he thought about what the wizard had just said. After careful consideration, he finally agreed with Beraut’s logic, and hesitantly conceded there was no one else who could relieve him of this burden.

Kieren continued to sit in stunned silence, until Beraut guided him to his bed and tucked him in. After making sure the door was secure, the mage propped himself up in the well-cushioned armchair beside the bed, as he would spend the night there, to protect their potential savior.